Apparatus for expanding or stretching textile fabrics.



PATENTED OUT. 15, 1907.

P. W. KIERNAN. APPARATUS FOR EXPANDING 0R STRETGHING TEXTILE FABRICS.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB. 11, 1907.

PATRICK W. KIERNAN, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR EXPANDING OR STRETCHING TEXTILE FABRICS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. l5, 1907.

Application filed February 11,1907. Serial No 356,682.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK W. KIERNAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Expanding or Stretching Textile Fabrics; and I do h'erebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to an improvement in apparatus forexpanding or stretching textile fabric, having as its object to improvethe construction and operation of such apparatus.

The invention consists in the construction hereinafter described andparticularly defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred form of theinvention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus, and Fig. 2is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a portion of one of theexpanders.

In the well known Mycock apparatus (in connection with which theinvention is illustrated see Patent N 0. 687,847, Dec. 3, 1901), eachexpander consists of a series of grooved expander sections mounted upona curved bar. Three of these bars, provided with expander sections,mounted on suitable brackets, are used. The expander sections areprovided, in the Mycock apparatus, with a wooden bushing at each end toform bearings for the support of the section on the bar. The woodenbushings, in the use of the apparatus, are blackened by the wear towhich they are subjected, and collect dirt and dust, then the naturalabrasions of the bushings and the dropping of the abraded material onthe fabric passing around them has been found holes in the cloth. Asshown in the drawing the ex- 4, which have interlocking portionsoverhanging the bushings 5. The dirt, abraded material or fragments fromthe bushings fall out on the cloth through the spaces between the endsof the sections. To prevent this I have provided tubular washers 6 whichlie between the successive sections and embrace the ends of the adjacentbushings. To obtain the best results these tubular washers should bemade of some flexible or elastic material which will be compressed bythe sections on the concave side of the bar and expand sufficiently tofill the larger space between the sections on the convex side of thebar. Washers of felt not only possess sufficient elasticity for thispurpose, but in addition the absorptive nature of the felt secures thefurther advantage of affording the washer the capacity of holding oil,grease, dirt and abraded material, thereby preventing their access tothe fabric operated upon.

I claim 1. An apparatus for expandingror stretching textile fabrics,having, in combination, .an expander consisting of a curved rod providedwith cylindrical expander sections provided with a bearing rotutablymounted thereon and washers located between the expander sections andcovering the bearings, substantially as described.

2. An apparatus for expanding or stretching textile fabrics, having, incombination, an expander consisting of a curved rod provided withcylindrical expander sections provided with bearings rotatably mountedthereon and elastic washers located between the expander sections andcovering; the bearings, substantially as described.

2). An apparatus for expanding or stretching textile fabrics, having, incombination, an expander consistingof a curved rod provided withcylindrical expander sections provided with bearings rotatably mountedthereon and felt washers located between the expander sections andcoveringthe bearings, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

PATRICK W. KIERNAN.

Witnesses FRED O. FISH, NETTIE D. MCPHAIL.

' fabric when it enters the calender cause the cutting of panders 1, 2and 3 are made up of cylindrical sections

